Brahmajee K. Nallamothu, M.D., from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues calculated risk-standardized IHCA survival to discharge rates across American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation registry hospitals between 2012 and 2014. The authors then conducted 158 interviews to assess how top-performing hospitals organize their resuscitation teams to achieve high survival rates for IHCA.

The researchers conducted interviews across multiple disciplines, including physicians (17.1 percent), nurses (45.6 percent), other clinical staff (17.1 percent), and administration (20.3 percent). Four broad themes related to resuscitation teams, including team design, composition and roles, communication and leadership during IHCA, and training and education. Top-performing hospitals had dedicated or designated resuscitation teams. Team participants represented diverse disciplines, but each member had clear roles and responsibilities. Additionally, teams at top-performing hospitals showed better communication and leadership during IHCA and had in-depth mock codes.

“Resuscitation teams at hospitals with high IHCA survival differ from non-top-performing hospitals,” the authors write. “Our findings suggest core elements of successful resuscitation teams that are associated with better outcomes and form the basis for future work to improve IHCA.”